Allentown, PA Redi Mix Concrete and Cement Building Materials

MAKING CONCRETE A SUSTAINABLE BUILDING MATERIAL?

Allentown, PA’s Concrete is a friend of the environment in all stages of its life span, from raw material production to demolition, making it a natural choice for sustainable home construction. Here are some of the reasons why, according to the Portland Cement Association and the Environmental Council of Concrete Organizations:

Resource efficiency. The predominant raw material for the cement in concrete is limestone, the most abundant mineral on earth. Concrete can also be made with fly ash, slag cement, and silica fume, all waste byproducts from power plants, steel mills, and other manufacturing facilities.

Durability. Concrete builds durable, long-lasting structures that will not rust, rot, or burn. Life spans for concrete building products can be double or triple those of other common building materials.

Thermal mass. Homes built with concrete walls, foundations, and floors are highly energy efficient because they take advantage of concretes inherent thermal massor ability to absorb and retain heat. This means homeowners can significantly cut their heating and cooling bills and install smaller-capacity HVAC equipment.

Reactivity. Concrete minimizes the effects that produce urban heat islands. Light-colored concrete pavements and roofs absorb less heat and reflect more solar radiation than dark-colored materials, such as asphalt, reducing air conditioning demands in the summer.

Ability to retain storm water. Paved surfaces tend to be impervious and can block natural water infiltration into the soil. This creates an imbalance in the natural ecosystem and leads to problems such as erosion, flash floods, water table depletion, and pollution. Pervious concrete is a special type of structural concrete with a sponge-like network of voids that water passes through readily. When used for driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, and other pavements, pervious concrete can help to retain stormwater runoff and replenish local water supplies.

Minimal waste. Concrete can be produced in the quantities needed for each project, reducing waste. After a concrete structure has served its original purpose, the concrete can be crushed and recycled into aggregate for use in new concrete pavements or as backfill or road base.

Hempcrete.
Construction block made from hempcrete
Hempcrete or Hemplime is bio-composite material, a mixture of hemp hurds (shives) and lime (possibly including natural hydraulic lime, sand, pozzolans) used as a material for construction and insulation. It is marketed under names like Hempcrete, Canobiote, Canosmose, and Isochanvre. Hempcrete is easier to work with than traditional lime mixes and acts as an insulator and moisture regulator. It lacks the brittleness of concrete and consequently does not need expansion joints. The result is a lightweight insulating material ideal for most climates as it combines insulation and thermal mass.

Hempcrete has been used in France since the early 1990’s to construct non-weight bearing insulating infill walls, as hempcrete does not have the requisite strength for constructing foundation and is instead supported by the frame. France continues to be an avid user of hempcrete; it is growing in popularity annually.

Like other plant products, hemp absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere as it grows, retaining the carbon and releasing the oxygen. Theoretically 165 kg of carbon can be absorbed and locked up by 1 m3 of hempcrete wall during manufacture.

The typical compressive strength is around 1 MPa, around 1/20 that of residential grade concrete. It is a low density material and resistant to cracking under movement, thus making it highly suitable for use in earthquake, (888) 237-2746 Allentown, PA

Ready-mix concrete (RMC) refers to concrete that is specifically manufactured for delivery to the customer’s construction site in a freshly mixed and plastic or unhardened state. Concrete itself is a mixture of Portland cement, water and aggregates comprising sand and gravel or crushed stone.

Ready mix concrete

What are the advantages of ready mix concrete?

Due to more efficient mixing methods, cement and waste production are kept to a minimum. This is beneficial for the environment, as the production of ready mix concrete at a plant uses less resources and energy. It also reduces dust pollution, as bulk cement is used rather than bagged.

The term “ready mix” is used to describe a process where concrete is pre-made at a plant and delivered in batches to job sites. Each batch of ready mix concrete is specially created per the requirements of the contractor. The ready mix concrete is prepared with the basic ingredients of water, cement, and aggregates.Jan 17, 2014

How to Mix Ready Mix Concrete?

There are three types of ready mix concrete (RMC) depending upon the mixing of the various ingredients as given below: Transit mixed concrete. Shrink mixed concrete.

Ready Mixed Concrete – Types and Advantages

How do you calculate ready mix concrete?

How to calculate concrete:

Determine how thick you want the concrete.

Measure the length and width that you’d like to cover.

Multiply the length by the width to determine square footage.

Convert the thickness from inches to feet.

Multiply the thickness in feet by the square footage to determine cubic feet.

What is the difference between ready mix concrete and cement?

Although the terms cement and concrete often are used interchangeably, cement is actually an ingredient of concrete. Concrete is basically a mixture of aggregates and paste. The aggregates are sand and gravel or crushed stone; the paste is water and Portland cement. Concrete gets stronger as it gets older. (888) 237-2746 Allentown, PA

Description

Allentown is a city in eastern Pennsylvania. The Liberty Bell Museum houses a full-size replica of the iconic bell, plus a mural about its history. Nearby, the Allentown Art Museum’s collections include Renaissance and modern American works. On the Lehigh River, the America On Wheels Museum showcases vintage vehicles. East of the river, Coca-Cola Park is home to the IronPigs Minor League Baseball team.